Unplanned Blessings

 July 4, 2024

I always am a bit nervous about writing on days like today. People much smarter than me have written and will write about the Fourth of July. But if I don’t say something patriotic, it feels like I’ve shirked my duty somehow. So I’m simply going to share my day with you, courtesy of armed men and women who stood up to tyranny nearly 250 years ago.

The day started for me at 5:00 am when I woke up and drove to the church for our men’s prayer time. I wasn’t surprised to find only two other men on this national holiday, but we met and prayed in accordance with the promise that where two or three are gathered together in Jesus’ name, he is with us. And he was.

When I got home, I took time to do a little reading of my Bible before taking Linda’s car to our son Matt for some new brakes. Matt has the tools and equipment that made this job pretty straightforward, and I am grateful for his knowledge and muscle.

Linda and I met a friend at 3 Lakes Cafe for lunch, and while we were there, ran into a dozen or more friends with whom we chatted. When our friend Jo-Anne was about to leave, Linda’s sister and her husband came in. A few minutes later, mutual friends Lance and Rhonda joined us. We’ve known them for fifty years or more, so we had good conversation until closing time. We’ve spent holidays together in the past, and it turned out that none of us had plans for the evening, so brother in law Gary invited us over for dogs and burgers on the grill.

After a couple hours at home mowing the lawn, we drove to Frewsburg where another four hours were spent talking and laughing, and being thankful for the blessings of living in the USA. We talked about some of the ills and problems of our nation, but we all know that even with all the issues we face, it’s still the best place to live.

None of us had planned an afternoon or evening together, but God orchestrated something good, landing all three couples in our granddaughter’s cafe at the same time. An evening with nothing planned turned out to be the best Fourth we have enjoyed in years. Yours may have come with unplanned difficulties instead of unplanned blessings. If so, my prayers are with you. If you’ve experienced the blessings, offer your prayers for those less fortunate. Either way, look for the unplanned ways God wants to step into your life. He may surprise you.